Is Texas Turning Blue?

Wednesday, March 13, 2013, 8:00 am ET - 09:30 am ET

The United States is undergoing a remarkable and profound demographic shift, with Texas at the frontlines. Texas, a longtime red state, has experienced a population increase of more than 20 percent in the past decade with the vast majority of this growth from communities of color. The state has seen a rapidly growing Latino population, as well as African American voters and other Democratic-leaning constituencies that have been underrepresented at the ballot box in recent cycles. As the these constituencies continue to grow, however, Texas may become a battleground state sooner than we previously thought.

The state’s rising diverse electorate has significant implications on the future political impact of Texas. The Mexican American, African American, and Asian American populations in Texas accounted for 88 percent of the state’s 4.3 million person increase from 2000 to 2010. By the next presidential election, roughly 900,000 Latinos in Texas are expected to enter the electorate. It’s clear with Texas’s growing diverse constituency that communities of color will have significant influence in future elections.

Please join the Center for American Progress Action Fund and Progress 2050 Action for a robust discussion on how communities of color, particularly Latino voters, are changing the political climate in Texas and the implications of the shifting demographics on politics and policies moving forward.